Bolster for vehicles.



F. R. FENCE.

BOLSTER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY6.1914.

11, 235 1.680 Patented May 8, 1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET I.

I 4 -7 i 7 5 4 [d 3"392 W/TNESSE8: m/ l/E/VTOR 'm B) I A TTOR/VEY F. R.FENCE.

BOLSTER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED 1ULY6 19M.

1,2 5, 168. Patented May 8, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F/EL8. fiat 15R: QQ 22 J p /a 6-? WITNESSES: IN VE/V 70R A TTOR/VEYFRANK R. FENCE, oF PENCE, INDIANA.

BOLSTER, FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1917.

Application filed July 6, 1914. Serial No. 849,194.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK R. PnNon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pence, in the county of Warren and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bolsters for Vehicles,of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to false bolsters for vehicles to be used withthe running gear of vehicles such as trucks, wagons or the like, and tobe located above the usual permanent bolsters of such vehicles, tosupport removable superstructure such as beds, racks or the like, and isparticularly adapted for use in connection with trucks or wagons whenused for carrying racks, such as hay racks, stock racks and other racksused in connection with wagons or trucks and which are removably mountedon them.

An object of this invention is to provide an intermediate supportingmeans to be mounted on the permanent bolsters of vehicles and upon whichremovable racks or other removable super-structures are adapted to rest.Such intermediate supporting means, which I shall term a false bolster,I make adjustable in height, so that by its adjustment the correspondingend of the i removable rack or superstructure may be supported andcarried at various heights above the surface of the correspondingpermanent bolster of the vehicle. These false bolsters may be used ateither the front end a of the vehicle or the rear, or both, and by theirvertical adjustability the rack or other superstructure may readily bemade to assume a horizontal position, or such inclination to ahorizontal as is desired. By

": their use racks or other removable superstructures may beconveniently supported at such heights above the permanent bolsters ofvehicles, as to eliminate as much lifting as is desired, which would beotherwise required, in order to elevate the removable rack orsuperstructure, when taking it from the vehicle, sufliciently, so thatthe bottom of the rack or superstructure will clear the usual upwardlyprojecting standards of the permanent bolsters, or the tops of thevehicle wheels when the rack or superstructure is moved laterally of thevehicle in removement therefrom.

By the use of my novel false bolster I am also able to eliminaterelatively long depending legs, which have sometimes been used as afixed part of removable racks whereby the latter may be supported fromthe permanent bolsters of vehicles, so that the main portion of theracks are carried at substantial distances above the tops of thepermanent bolsters. In removing such racks carried from the bolsters bydownwardly projecting legs, they have necessarily had to be elevatedsubstantially when being removed from the vehicle, in order to removethe rack sidewise from their position on the vehicle bolsters. Bydispensing with such legs as a fixed part of the racks, or bysubstantially shortening them, and by interposing my false bolster,which is conveniently removable from position and which is not a fixedpart of the rack or superstructure or of the permanent bolster, the rackor superstructure may be carried by the false bolster at such heightsabove the permanent bolsters as will require but little elevation of therack or superstructure when moving it from position on the vehicle,sidewise to the ground.

With these and other incidental objects in view the invention furtherconsists in certain novel details of construction, combinations andarrangements of parts, all as will be now described and poitned outparticularly in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisspecification;-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my novel false bolster.

Fig. :2 is a perspective view of one of the adjustable elements of mybolster.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line a-a Fig. 1.

Fig. 4. is a rear elevation of a wagon showing my adjustable bolster inplace, and in section the longitudinal sills of a removable rack when inplace on the false bolster applied to the rear permanent bolster of awagon.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 but of slightly differentconfiguration on top, making it more suitable for use in connection withthe front end of racks in which the longitudinal sills which rest on afalse bolster are closer together at the front end than the width of thebolster.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the bolster of Fig. 5 showing it in placeon the front permanent bolster of a wagon, and showing in cross section,the longitudinal sills of the rack in position on the false bolster.

Fig. 7 is a top view of a slightly different form of bolster for use atthe front end of the rack and on which top integral projections of Fig.5 are replaced by adjustable cleats.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the bolster of Fig. 7 showing thelongitudinal sills of the rack in place thereon in section. In this formthe adjustable elements are held together by single clamping meansinstead of the two as shown in the other forms.

Referring to Fig. 1, my novel false bolster will be seen to be comprisedof two main portions 1 and 2 which may be of any desirable material butpreferably of metal such as steel or iron. The portion 1 is comprised ofa vertical portion having on one side serrations or teeth 3 and ahorizontal portion or base 4; which extends at its ends slightly beyondthe vertical portion and also extends slightly from the vertical portionat one side as at 5 and somewhat farther from the vertical portion atthe other side as at 6. At the ends of the base 4: of the portion 1 arenotches 7 preferably extending back substantially to the plane of theends of the body portion of the bolster. The vertical portion of themember 1 is provided intermediate its ends with two vertical slots 8,Fig. 2, and preferably as shown in Fig. 2, the serrations or teeth 3 ofthe member 1 extend from end to end of the bolster, so that the verticalslots 8 are cut through these teeth or serrations on one side.

The other member 2 of the false bolster is similar to the one justdescribed having the same extensions 4, 5 and 6, the end notches 7 andvertical slots 8. Then the bolster is assembled this member 2 is howeverinverted so that its vertical portion is beneath the horizontal portion,which latter thus forms the top for the bolster, the two elements ofwhich are held together with their teeth 3, 3 in cooperation, by bolts 9passing through the alining slots 8 of the two elements, and providedwith heads 10 at one end and clamping nuts 11 working on their oppositethreaded ends. The end notches 7, 7 at each end aline for the purpose ofreceiving vertical standards which are usually carried by and projectabove fixed bolsters of wagons, which standards by engagement in thesenotches serve to hold the false bolster from lateral movement off of thevehicle permanent bolsters. As shown, washers are used between the heads10 and clamping nuts 11 of the bolts 9 and the adjacent faces of thefalse bolster.

From this description of the form shown in perspective in Fig. 1, itwill be apparent that the upper and lower bases 4 and 4 respectively,may readily be adjusted to various distances apart by merely looseningthe clamping nuts 11 of the bolts 9 and moving these bases, with theircorresponding vertical portions, toward or from each other, and then byclamping them in their adj usted position by tightening the clampingnuts 11 on the bolts 9. The height ofthe vertical portions of these twomembers may be varied as well as the number of serrations on theircooperating faces, and when the two members are firmly held togetherwith adjacent teeth in cooperation and interlocking, it will be seenthat the bolster will present a very substantial and firm false bolsterof a height depending upon the adjustment made between the two members 1and 2. The teeth or serrations 3 may or may not extend the whole lengthof the bolster just as is desired, and in fact it is not necessary thatthe elements 1 and 2 of the bolster be solid throughout as they may haverecesses such as shown at 22, Fig. 8, so as to lighten them.

As will appear from the drawings the teeth or serrations 3 and 3 arepreferably provided with one of their surfaces substantially at rightangles to the height of the I bolster so that when the two elements ofthe latter are assembled the upper one of these will rest squarely uponthe horizontal surface of the teeth of the lower element so thatapplication of pressure to the uppermost of the members 1 or 2 will nottend to wedge these members apart against the action of the bolts 9 aswould be the case if the teeth were more of a V shaped formation. Thelength of the slots 8 and the number of teeth 3 on the members 1 and 2are to be made sufficient to afford all the desired vertical adjustmentof the members 1 and 2 relatively to each other.

In Fig. 4; the false bolster of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is shown applied to therear permanent bolster of a wagon. In this view 1 is the adjustablefalse bolster and 12 is the permanent rear bolster of the wagonsupported from the rear axle 13. 14 are the vertical standardsprojecting upwardly from the end of the wagon bolster 12. The falsebolster is shown in place on the wagon bolster 12 with the standards Aof the latter projecting upwardly through the notches 7, 7 of the falsebolster thus to keep the latter in place on the bolster 12. It ishowever readily removable and replaceable thereon. 15 are thelongitudinal sills of a removable rack showing their location justinside the standards 14: and resting on top of the false bolster 1. Forbrevity the remainder of the rack is not shown.

The form of false bolster heretofore described is adapted for use eitherwith the frontor rear permanent bolsters of 2. vehicle. However, it isoften the case in racks or superstructure of a vehicle that the partwhich engages the front bolster of a vehicle is of less width than theinside of the front bolster, and. for this reason in some. casesoutwardly extending projections have been provided to fill the remainderof the space between the standards of the front bolster. The frame ofthe rack or superstructure is frequently narrowed near the front tofacilitate turning of the vehicle within a smaller area. T 0 provide forthis narrowed framework at the front end of racks or superstructures,the forms shown in Figs. 5, 7 and 8 are provided. Of these, forms asshown in Figs. 5 and 6, are identical with the form of Figs. 1 1 withthe exception that instead of both of the bases being level throughout,these Figs. 5 and 6 show projections 16 on the top horizontal portion ofthe member 2, one of these projections being at each end and formingopposed abutments between which the restricted frame-work of the frontportion of the rack is to be located resting upon the flat portion 18 ofthe false bolster. The restricted in width, front end of the frame-workof the rack or superstructure is adapted to substantially fill the spacebetween the abutments as shown in Fig. 6, so that these abutments willprevent all lateral movement of the rack or superstructure relative tothe bolster even though the rack at this point does not fill this spacebetween the vertical standards of the front permanent bolster of avehicle.

In Figs. 7 and 8 cleats 19 are attached to the top of an otherwisefiat-topped bolster such as shown in Figs. 1-4;. These are fastened tothe top of the false bolster by means of screws 20 or in any otherconvenient manner and a plurality of sets of holes 21 are provided inthe top surface of the adjustable false bolster so that the cleats maybe located closer together or farther apart as desired to fit racks orsuperstructures whose bases differ in width. In fact these cleats andscrews may be completely removed from the top of the false bolster thusleaving it in effect the same as the form shown in Figs. 1-4. Figs. 7and 8 show these cleats 19 slightly converging toward the front of therack or superstructure to better fit converging longitudinal sills ofthe superstructure or rack frame-work which sills are to rest on thefalse bolster and support the rack or superstructure therefrom. Ofcourse various ways will occur for fastening the cleats l9 detachably tothe top of the false bolster and any well known and desirable Way may beused. In Figs. 5 and 6 the projections 16 are shown integral with theelement 2 of the false bolster'but even these in the form shown might beremovably attached. Fig. 8 shows but one fastening bolt 9 and one pairof slots 8, one in each of the members 1 and 2, and these slots andbolts I have shown near the middle of the bolster. In this view I haveshown the elements 1 and 2 recessed at 22 between the slots 8 and theend of the bolster which construction serves to make the false bolsterlighter and more convenient for handling. The teeth 3 may or may not asdesired extend throughout the unrecessed portions of the members 1 and 2of the bolster as shown and the single fastening idea of this figure isof course adapted as well to supplant the two clamping bolts of the formshown in the other figures. In this Fig. 8 the longitudinal sills of therack are shown in sections and this figure in connection with Fig. 7show an exaggerated convergence of the cleats 19 to better make theirconvergence clear. They may or may not converge, however, as a perfectlypractical form results without.

All the forms above described are adjustable in height by similaroperations, yet as different ways of getting this adjustment may readilyoccur to those skilled in the art I do not wish to limit myself to anydetails of the construction shown except as is required by the scope ofthe appended claims. The false bolster as shown is designed as aseparate unit detached from both the rack and superstructure and thevehicle bolster proper and is intended to be attached to the latter justas desired and with the adjustment required to hold the rack orsuperstructure the desired height above the permanent bolsters. Wheredesired it might, however, be permanently located on the vehicle bolsteror under frame of the rack or superstructure. I prefer, however, to usethe false bolster as a separate part and freely removable from eitherand usable or not with them as desired.

The operation and manner of using the herein disclosed false bolster isbelieved apparent from the above description. It may be made of anymaterial desired though I preferably make it of metal or wood, and itmay be made in any size found desirable.

Having thus described my invention What I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. An adjustable false bolster for vehicles comprising complementarysections, each having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, thecontiguous faces of said vertical portions being provided withhorizontal ledges connected by inclined portions, said vertical portionsbeing provided with alined openings; and bolts passing through saidopenings and holding said complementary sections together with saidhorizontal ledges in engagement with each other, substantially asdescribed.

2. An adjustable, two-part, false bolster for vehicles comprisingcomplementary sections, each having a horizontal portion and a verticalportion, the contiguous faces of said vertical portions being providedwith horizontal ledges; and bolts passing through said vertical portionsand holding said sections together With adjacent horizontal ledges inngagement.

8. An adjustable, two-part false bolster comprising complementarysections, each section having a horizontal portion and a verticalportion, the contiguous faces of said vertical portions being providedWith serrations; and bolts passing through said vertical portions andclamping said sections together With the serrated faces engaging eachother.

l. An adjustable, tWo-part false bolster comprising complementarysections, each section having a horizontal portion and a verticalportion, said vertical portions being adjustable on each other; andmeans for clamping said sections together.

5. An adjustable, two-part false bolster comprising complementarysections, each section having a horizontal portion and a verticalportion, said horizontal portions being provided With notches in theends there of; and means for clamping said sections together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

FRANK R. PENCE.

Witnesses:

E. A. WooD, ORIN W. FISHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O.

